Thursday, June 13, 2013

Dallas Stars Sign D Kevin Connauton to Three-Year Deal

Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill started locking down his restricted free agent assets today with the announcement of a three year deal for the 23 year-old defenseman.

The first year of the deal is two-way and the second two years are one-way. The length, one-way nature and escalating value indicate the organizations' belief in the future value of Connauton as a Dallas Star.

Here's the release:

The Texas Stars announced today that the Dallas Stars, the team's National Hockey League affiliate, has signed defenseman Kevin Connauton to a three-year contract through the 2015-16 season. The first year is a two-way deal ($600,000 NHL; $100,000 AHL), while years two and three are both one-way ($650,000 in year two; $800,000 in year three).

Connauton, 23, was acquired by Dallas along with a second-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Derek Roy on April 2, 2013. He was immediately loaned to Texas and he made his AHL Stars' debut on April 5, 2013 vs. Oklahoma City. Connauton played in nine regular season games for the Stars, scoring six points (2 goals, 4 assists), while adding six penalty minutes and a +2 rating. He registered his first point with Texas when he scored the game-winning goal a mere nine seconds into overtime on April 12th in a 3-2 win at Charlotte. Last season, Connauton skated in 69 combined games for Texas and the Chicago Wolves, where he totaled 31 points (9 goals, 22 assists) and 73 penalty minutes. He also led Texas in playoff scoring with five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in nine Calder Cup playoff games.

The Edmonton native was Vancouver's third-round selection (83rd overall) in the 2009 NHL Draft. While playing for Chicago (AHL), Connauton was selected to the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic in Atlantic City. During the AHL All-Star Skills Competition, he won the Hardest Shot event by registering a 99.4 mph slap shot. Connauton has played 215 AHL games in his pro career for Manitoba, Chicago and Texas, posting 87 points (33 goals, 54 assists) and 182 penalty minutes.